Breaking Traditions
by Eve1313
Summary: There're many shifters in the world, not all change to wolves. Alexandra is the last of a Russian shifter community. With an enemy clan, no one left in her clan, or a mate, she has a hard transformation ahead of her.
1. Chapter 1: Worries

**Okay, this is the first official Dark Guardian series fanfiction! Yay!! I don't expect many people to read this, but I hope there will be. This is my second fanfiction, so I hope it's good. Please read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I am not Rachel Hawthorne, and I do not own the Dark Guardian Series.**

Female Shifters are supposed to go through their first transformation with their mate. Male shifters are supposed to name their mate after their first transformation. They are also supposed to announce their mates to the clan. They are also supposed to go through their first transformation alone.

What if the guy I believe to be my mate hasn't had his first transformation? What if he won't until after my transformation? Am I going to die?

Since a male Shifter first transformation happens the first full moon after his eighteenth birthday and a female's seventeenth, isn't it possible that a female Shifter may have to go through her first transformation alone? Of course, there have been females who had to through their first transformation alone, but they never survive. Maybe, I'm just doom to die.

I feel a pull towards Cain, one that frightens me, yet calms me at the same time. I also feel a push from him, one that tells me to stay away, yet challenges me to push back. I don't know if it's my adrenaline junky self looking for more danger and adventure, or if I Cain might actually be my destine mate. I do know one thing for sure, if he is my true mate, I would have to go through my transformation alone.

"Earth to Alex." I heard a female voice say, bringing me back to reality. "Alex!" Kayla said.

"I'm sorry.." I said. "I just have a lot on my mind." Kayla is a fellow Shifter. She learned that she was one a few weeks before her transformation. See, her parents were killed in this very national park, so she never knew she was a Shifter. She actually thought it was absurd that there were such a thing as humans changing into wolves.

She smiled. She knew my situation. I hadn't told anyone else about my worries, not even the elders. "I understand, its nerve wracking."

"Yeah.." I said. _Nerve wracking is an understatement._ "It's just, I feel deep down that Cain is my mate. But, when has there ever been a girl declare her mate." I met Cain this summer, when I was signing up to be a sherpa. At first, I avoided him. His mere presence scared me, shaking me to my very core. Then, a week into my stay, there was a tiger that attacked Cain and me. I guess near death experiences bring people together.

"Well, you aren't actually from our clan." Kayla stated. "You're original clan may be a close relative of ours, but you could have different traditions."

My original clan, as she said, has a similar animal. Instead of a wolf, my clan's animal is a Siberian husky. We are originally from Russia. All my history is there, or was there. My entire clan was killed in Russia by an opposing, bloodthirsty clan. My dad, the leader of my clan, sent me to America to save me from the Siberian Tigers, the opposing clan. He left me with this very wolf clan. The Siberian husky and wolf are closely related, and a couple of the wolves' elders became very close to my dad. He was hoping to return for me. However, he along with the entire clan, other than myself, were killed by the crude tigers.

"I wish I knew my traditions. I feel ashamed. My dad was the leader of my clan. And yet, I cannot remember anything of our clan, other than we're Siberian huskies. " I said. "So, as you have adopted me, I have adopted your traditions."

She looked at me with a sad smile. I knew she felt sorry for me. I found that uncomfortable. I mean, she has been through things, and she still worries for others. I wish she did not worry about me. I'm fine really, I just want answers.

"Where is Lucas?" I asked. I knew she was always happy with him. Maybe, I can get her on a more enjoyable topic for her.

"Talking with the elders!" she said becoming immediately perky. I smiled. "They are discussing that tiger. He said it was strange for a tiger to be here."

"Yeah." I said. I had not told them what I expected, yet. I was going to tell the elders that I thought it might be someone from the clan that killed my clan, but I had to go to the medical hall. _That was a close one with that tiger._ I thought, rubbing my bandaged shoulder.

_Cain and I were returning from dropping a few campers off. One of the other sherpas stayed with them, so Cain and I were by ourselves. I feared this, and yet, I was happy about it. As we walked in silence, I couldn't help but feel as if I was being stalked, like prey. _

"_Do you feel that?" I asked, no longer being able to stand it. _

"_What do you mean?" he asked, crashing into me from my sudden stop._

"_Something's watching us." I said. I was sure of myself. I rubbed my arms, trying to settle the standing hairs._

"_It's probably a bird." He said. He was very relaxed. I use to be that way, but ever since those dreams started, I can't help but get anxious. However, I continued walking, but as so as we got to the river, I heard a twig snap and extremely low growl._

_I turned around to find a tiger lunging after Cain. "Look out!" I yelled. I tackled him out of the way. The tiger quickly turned around. I was facing him completely vulnerable. I thought I would be able to run or something, but as soon as I met eyes with him, I froze. It pounced at me. At first, I thought the tier got me, but I was going in the opposite direction. I turned around to find Cain on the ground bleeding. He pushed me out of the way. I was entirely furious! I don't know why, but I ran to the tiger. It seemed shocked to find me stalking him; hell, I was shocked. I grabbed its throat and squeezed as hard as I could._

_It roared from pain. I was surprised that it did this. I knew I was a bit stronger than a Static, but not that strong. Then, I smelt it, the smell of something burning. In a flash, the tiger had its claws in the back of my shoulders and its teeth in my left shoulder. I pushed as hard as I could to get it off me. I felt its claws scrape through my shoulders, and the tiger crashed into the tree behind me. _

_I was completely freaked out… First, I noticed, where my hands were on the animal, the fur was gone and there was a small ember. Second, I pushed a freaking tiger into a tree! And third, the tiger had ice on its shoulders. _

"_Alex, you need a doctor." Cain said. He grabbed my shoulders. The pain brought me back to reality. He was staring at his hands. "Your bleeding a lot." He said. I could see the panic in his eyes. He scooped my up and started jogging back to the camp. I put my head on his shoulder from exhaustion. _

"_Your shoulder's bleeding." I slurred. Then, blackness came before I could hear his answer._

"I need to talk to the elders." I said, coming back to reality, again. I got up with a mountain full of pain. Kayla looked shocked that I got up so quick.

"Do you need me to come with you?" she asked full of worry.

I smiled. "You can come and meet Lucas. I need to talk to them alone." I said. She hesitated, but nodded. We left one of the buildings on the far end of Wolford. We were staying there since we closed the Sherpas guide for the next two weeks.

We walked in silence. This, I was grateful for. I mean, Kayla like a sister to me, but I hadn't told anyone about what exactly happened in the battle, or what I expected. Cain and I decided to keep it simple and just say we were attacked. However, we weren't going to lie to the elders. Or at least I wasn't, I didn't know about Cain.

I looked around enjoying the view. In the building, there was a mixture of modern and ancient architecture. At first, when I thought this would cause a clash, but it is very beautiful. The building structure itself and statues were more ancient than modern, but the furniture had a smooth mixture. Some rooms had been repainted crisp colors, but the hallways still had the old, slightly peeling paint.

"You think it's strange to have a tiger here?" Kayla asked me, snapping me from my thoughts. She wasn't completely new, but she hasn't had the time to know the regular animals here.

"Definitely." I said. "It looked like a Siberian tiger, and they are from Russia." Truthfully, I expected it to be member of the Pathera, the Siberian tiger clan. However, I wasn't going to go there, not right now.

"Could someone have shipped it here?" she asked.

"That's possible," I started. "Some people pay a lot of money to hunt illegal animals."

"Who would want to harm a tiger?" she asked. I knew I wouldn't, but I would if it were in the Pathera.

"I don't know." I said. "They are beautiful creatures, but they are still deadly."

"Aren't they the designated animal for the Patheras?" she asked. I nodded. "You don't think.." she started. I couldn't hide it in my eyes. "Alex.." she whispered. She forgot about my injuries and gave me a big hug. However, I didn't care, I needed someone there. My emotions came over me; I started crying hard.

"Kayla," a voice interrupted my emotional outburst. "What's wrong with Alexandra?" It was Lucas, the pack leader and Kayla mate.

"I'm sorry." I said, straightening up. "It's nothing." He didn't believe me. He stared at Kayla. I knew they were talking to each other. She couldn't hide it from him for long, so it was understandable that she told. He looked at me, and then nodded.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." He said. "Are you sure you want to talk to the elders alone?"

I nodded. I wanted to tell them exactly what happen, and I'm not comfortable with telling everyone what happened when I had no idea myself.

Kayla and Lucas had closed the distance between them. I smiled. It must be amazing to have a mate. That reminded me of another question I had to ask the elders. I really needed to get to them. "Um, I'm going to go ahead. I'll see you later Kayla, Lucas." They glanced at me, making sure I wanted to go alone. I nodded and walked out the nearby door.

As I walked, I couldn't help but get lost in my thoughts and fears. "_What happened with that tiger? Did I burn him? Was that really ice on his shoulders? Was that really a tiger, or a Pathera? Have they come to kill me? If they don't, will this full moon kill me? Can I even have a mate outside my clan?_ _Is Cain-_" I crashed into something hard stopped my thinking. I felt a quick spark of electricity between us, and I knew immediately it was Cain.

"Sorry, Alex," he said.

"No, it was my fault, I wasn't looking up." I said. His stare was hypnotic. I couldn't look away. Those intense eyes can capture anyone. They were a mixture of colors: around the pupil was ice blue, the outer edges were hazel, and where the blue and hazel clash was orange, identical to the ring around his irises. Each color in his eyes can take over the entire based off his emotions. The only reason I know this is because I can't help but stare at him.

They turn a deep blue, an indication of worry. "Are you okay?" he asked sincerely.

I bit my lip. I wanted to tell him, but I didn't want him to worry. "I'm heading to talk to the elders about the tiger."

He searched my face, as if he were looking for more. "Do you want me to come? Facing the elders alone can be nerve wracking."

I smiled. I knew I didn't want Kayla or Lucas or anyone else coming with me, but I really wanted Cain to come. I don't know if it were for the fact that he was there, or if I just wanted his company and comfort "Sure." I said

When I crashed into him, we were in front of main building, so it didn't take us long to get there.

"Hello, Alexandra, Cain." Elder Wilde said. "You wanted to talk to us, Alex."

I nodded. "Yes sir, it's about the tiger attack." The three elders looked at each other and nodded for me to continue. "I believe that that wasn't a tiger. I suspect it to be a Pathera."

"We thought that ourselves." Elder Wilde said.

"See, I believe that the Patheras are here to finish what they started." I said. "However, I was able to fend him off."

The elders looked at each other confused. They knew I hadn't faced my first transformation yet, so I was as vulnerable as a Static. "What do you mean?" Elder Mitchell asked.

"Well, the tiger attacked Cain first and something took over me." I said. "I was so anger; I just ran up to the tiger and started choking it with my hands." They looked at me with shock and stupidity. "To my surprise, it growled in pain. Then, it dug its claws in my back, causing me to push it as hard as I could from instinct. It collided into a tree. From there, I noticed that where my hands are there wasn't any hair, just small embers. It was like I burned the hair off. And its shoulders were covered in ice."

They were silently looking at each other. They seem to be dumbfounded. I mean, it's rare for a Shifter to have any extra power what so ever, but before a transformation. That's nearly impossible.

"Well, Alex," Elder Wilde said. "You're technically in a different clan than us, we may have adopted you in and you are considered one of us, but you're history and traditions could be different. Sadly, your dad didn't give us anything to decipher about your clan."

"Is there any way we, or I, can go to Russia and maybe find something about my clan?" I asked, or more like plead.

Elder Wilde looked at me with pity. "We wouldn't even know where to start. And even if we did, don't you think that the Pantheras would have destroyed everything?"

"If I may say so," Cain chimed it. "It will also be extremely dangerous for you to go to Russia."

The elders nod in agreement. "And it's not dangerous for a Shifter to go through her first transformation blindly?" I asked. They looked at me with sorrow and pity.

"I might have an idea of where to look." I added. They looked at me with confusion.

"How could you possibly know?" Elder Mitchell asked. "You were three last time you were in Russia."

"This." I said, holding up my miniature globe necklace. "Dad gave this to me before he returned. He told me that I might need this on my seventeenth birthday."

"Alex," Elder Wilde said. "That's just a globe of the entire earth."

I couldn't help but smile. "That's what I thought, but I was playing with it the other day and figured it out. If you start from the bottom and roll it, you'll get a round map of the underground city."

They looked at me with a combination of excitement and pity. "Alex, even if this is true, there could be no one there, the Pantheras could have found it, it could be a trap, the list goes on and on. The dangers are just too numerous."

"With all due respect, I understand the dangers," I started. "And I will not force anyone to go, but I want to go. I need to go."

The elders looked at each other as if they were considered it. "We will have to talk about it, Alex." Elder Wilde reluctantly stated. "Cain, will you gather the Dark Guardians for me?"

He nodded and smiled at me before leaving. "Now, Alex," Elder Wilde continued. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Actually, it isn't." I said. "I wanted to talk to you about my first transformation." The pity in their eyes returned. "I know my clan's might be different, but what if it isn't? There aren't any remaining members in my clan. Is it possible for me to have a mate outside of my original clan?" my questions just started spewing out. I couldn't hold them in. With each question, they seemed to pity me even more. I had one final question that seemed impossible to say aloud.

"Am I going to die?" I asked with tear-filled eyes.


	2. Chapter 2: Love is Blooming

**First things first, I like to say that I'm taking this story slow, just so I can make sure I don't skip around or mess up as bad as I do with the Twilight fic, Guardian Angel. I have notice that in between the chapters I skip around. I hope that I can do better with this story.**

**I watched Alice in Wonderland! It was freakin' awesome!!! I hope to write a fanfiction about it, but not until I have got this story up and running.**

**I'm glad that some people are actually reading this! Thank you to everyone who has suggested their friends to this story! I hope that everyone likes this chapter.**

**[I never understood these. It's obvious we aren't the true writers, and why would someone want to sue use for expressing ourselves. Whoever tries to sue someone because they forget a disclaimer are low. Just saying.] Disclaimer: I ain't Rachel Hawthorne, and I don't own the Dark Guardian Series.**

**APOV(Alex)**

"Now, Alex, I'm sure you're not going to die." He said, trying to comfort me. He may be an Elder, but he is as good with tears as any ordinary man. "Your traditions could be different."

"This is why I need to go to Russia." I stated.

"We need to discuss that, Alex." He said, gesturing towards the other Elders.

I heard the door open, so I dried my eyes quickly. Lucas and Kayla walked in beside each other, but not actually holding hands. In front of the Elders, they are professional. That means no intimacy. It's not required it's just a show of respect. I respect the Elders, but if I had my mate, I wouldn't let go of him. Right behind them was Rafe and Lindsey. Lindsey was like Kayla to me. She felt like a sister I had. I was similar to both Kayla and Lindsey in different ways. Lastly came Conner and Brittany. I was close to Brittany, but it wasn't like Lindsey and Kayla. See, Brittany is a human, but we didn't know this until her full moon came, and she didn't change. The sad thing was that she wanted it more than anyone I have ever met. She didn't have a mate, either. During the drama, she and Conner fell in love.

Finally, Cain walked in. Of course, the others walked in, but I didn't identify them for my full attention was on Cain. I couldn't help but to look him up and down His dark hair was coming dangerous close to covering his beautiful eyes. Other than his hair, his face was clean-shaven. His dad was a marine. You could see him sporting a buzz cut, so it was a surprise that Cain's hair was grown out. He was extremely muscular, like most male Shifters, but with his dad's intense workout program, he could stand up against any of actual Shifters who've had their first transformation.

He walked over to where I was. Since we were novice and haven't had our transformation, we had to sit to the side as the others sat at the table around the Elders. He sat right beside me, causing a magnetic pull between us. I didn't know if he felt it, but it was so powerful. How couldn't he?

"We have met so urgently today because we have to discuss the tiger attack." Elder Wilde said. After that, I zoned out. I have told all the information to them and experienced it in person; I rather not hear it again.

"You've been crying." He whispered to me. It was a statement, not a question. He knew, and that frustrated me. I didn't like it when people worried about me.

"Allergies." I stated, not making eye contact. There is no way I can lie to his face.

He huffed. "You suck at lying."

I turned to him with a smirk on my face. "Is that so?"

He looked dumbfound. I have no idea why, but I found it funny. I bit my lower lip to stop from laughing. Then, I noticed how close we were. If we were one centimeter closer, then our noses would be touching. I felt my cheeks heat. So, I pulled back and straightened in my seat. I heard him chuckle slightly.

I don't know why, but I punched him in the gut. I really looked like I had a Turrets spasm. "Sorry, twitch." I stated, smirking again.

He smacked my gut back. "Twitch." He said, smiling. _Wow, we were like little kids._ I thought.

"We aren't baby goats." He chuckled.

My eyes went wide. "You heard that?" I asked.

"It's not hard when you say it out loud." He stated.

"I didn't say it out loud." I said it. "I didn't know you could read thoughts." I said. I blushed at the things he might have heard me thinking about him.

"I haven't." He said in a serious tone. Then, he smiled. "Do you have thoughts that you don't want me to hear?"

"No." I said too quickly for my own good. I quickly darted my eyes to the floor, trying to avoid eye contact. I'm normally not like this. I'm a naturally confident girl, but I become shy around him, for some reason.

I took a chance and glanced at his face. Bad decision. He had a big smirk on his face. His eyes were a light green color, full of amusement.

"Your blush looks cute." He said, rubbing my cheek with his finger. _Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit!_ I thought as my heart raced. _What's wrong with me? Why am I acting this way?_

He chuckled softly. "This is very entertaining." _I wish there were some way I could get back at you. _I thought. "Now, come on,"

"Alexandra." Elder Wilde stated. "Is there anything you want to tell us? Maybe a little more interesting than what we are discussing, since you two seem to be having so much fun."

"Well, Elder Wilde," I started confidently. "I believe Cain has something to say."

"Wow," Cain whispered in my ear, "I guess you got me back."

"Oh, you're not getting off that easy." I said, followed by a thought. _I was talking about you being able to read my mind._ I thought, hoping that he hear me.

"Well, Alex and I just noticed that I can read her mind." He said, putting his hands in his pockets. He was a little nervous talking in front of people.

"That's interesting." Elder Wilde said. "Very odd that the both of you seem to have some extra ability. The only other one that has an extra power seems to be Hayden. We might have to search through the readings." **(A/N: If you didn't know, there is a fourth book coming out, and Hayden is the main character in that. I don't know if she has informed the Elders of her empathy, but I put in there that they know about just in case.)**

He nodded and sat down. I copied his movements, hoping the attention would shift away from us.

"What abilities are you talking about?" Lucas asked.

"Well," Elder Wilde said. "Maybe the only reason they escaped the tiger attack, is because Alex burned and froze part of the tiger."

"How?"

"We believe she either has the ability to control temperature or fire and water." He said. "This is why we, the Elders, must study the readings."

"May I speak?" I asked. I had a feeling he knew what I was going to say, but he let me speak anyway. "If you find something in your readings about this situation, it might not say anything about me. This is another supporting detail in what I proposed early."

"Yes, Alex." He said. "I understand your point, and we will discuss that in due time."

I could tell the Dark Guardians were curious about the exchange between the Elder and me, and I would have to ask many question.

"Now, if there isn't anything else we need to discuss, you may enjoy the rest of the day." Elder Wilde said, closing the meeting. The Dark Guardians began to slowly exit through the door. Cain and I were the last ones leaving, when we heard Elder Wilde say, "Cain, may I speak with you," he asked, looking at me, "Alone?"

I frown. I didn't like the sound of that. "I'll meet up with you later." He told me smiling.

I smiled back, thinking to him. _I hope I didn't get him in trouble._

I heard him 'psh' me. "I was born in trouble." He said, walking towards the Elders.

**CPOV(Cain)**

I watched as Alex left. She was debating with herself over eavesdropping, or getting some breakfast. I laughed silently as berry pancakes pasted through her head. _He'll tell me if it's that important._ She thought as she hurried to the cafeteria.

"We need to talk about her." Elder Mitchell said. My smiled faded. I didn't know if this was going to be good or not, and that worried me.

"We haven't ever done this before, but this has never happened before." Elder Wilde started. "We were wondering how you felt about Alex."

"Well," I said. I mean I could go on and on about her in my head, but I'm not much of a man for words. "There's this pull I have towards her. It's amazingly awesome, and yet, scary. I want to spend as much time as I can with her, I want to learn everything I can about her, I want her to be happy, I want," I stopped. I knew what I want, but I was scared to say it aloud. "I want her to be my mate."

The Elders looked speechless, but in their eyes was understanding. I guess this is how they felt when they met their mate.

"Well, looks like we have a declaration coming soon." Elder Wilde said. "How about tonight?"

"Um, I didn't know you plan these." I joked.

"We don't, but the sooner the better." He said. I never really thought about announcing it to everyone. Will she be there? If she is, will she be happy?

"Um, will she be there?" I asked.

"Well, of course," he said. "Unless you don't want her to be."

How could I say I don't want my mate to be there when I declare her mine? The only thing I'm scared of is rejection, but this pull I feel towards her. This can't be a one-way deal. "I want her to be there."

And with that, they dismissed me. I walked into the cafeteria, hoping she'll still be there. Once I saw her, I smiled, but I don't think I can tell her, yet. Is it supposed to be a surprise? I never really asked any of the other guys.

"Enjoying your berry pancakes?" I asked smiling. I was so happy. I felt complete now.

"Ha. Ha." She said full of sarcasm. "Just 'cause you can read minds doesn't mean you have to show off."

"If it makes you feel better, you can burn me." I said.

"Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't know how." She said. "I saw him hurt you, so I grabbed his throat."

"That makes total sense." I said in a sarcastic tone. She gave me a glare. "Well, I'll tell you this. When you burned his throat, your eyes turned from ice blue to an amber color."

"That's," she started with a confused look on her face, "strange."

"Yeah, then back to ice blue when you froze his shoulders."

"Well, I remember my dad having amber colored eyes," she said. "He always told I had my mom's eyes."

She seemed a bit sad. I didn't blame her. Having to have your parents dump you in a foreign country to try to protect you, only to end up being the only living member of your clan. _Her clan.._ There animal was a Siberian dog. They are only a little bit smaller than wolves, but definitely not as strong or fast. I wonder how she's going to stand up against a wolf. I knew she was strong, not for a girl, she was just strong, period. I learn that she works out at night. She told me that she rather not embarrass some of the guys, so she goes to the gym at night. I told her that that was a challenge. From then on, we worked out together.

"Hey, there's something different with your eyes." She said. She was staring into my eyes. I smirked. Our proximity was welcoming to me. "There's more orange than normal."

"I don't know." I said. "Normally when I have orange, it means I'm angry," I flipped a spoon to look at them, "But they are normally darker, then." I knew exactly what it was. It made me smile just thinking about it. I was in love.

**Hope y'all liked it! I might have the next chapter up quicker, but I don't know. It just depends on how my muse inspires me!:) PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	3. Chapter 3: Secrets and Bonfires

**VERY IMPORTANT: Okay, thankfully, my sis brought this to my attention. I didn't make it clear that Cain hasn't transformed yet either. That's why he was sitting with her during the Dark Guardian/Elders meeting. Those who haven't changed yet are novices, who sit to the side. I think it's a sign of respect or something. However, I will make it clearer in the next chapter! I'm sorry for the confusion.**

**I have also noticed that I have a big thing for the name Alex. Alexis and Alexandra are the current names of my main characters in both my stories. I also noticed that I have a thing for fire and water. Well, truthfully, I have always had a thing for fire and water, but I subconsciously put it in both stories. **

**Disclaimer: I ain't Rachel Hawthorne, and I don't own the Dark Guardian series.**

**APOV(Alexandra)**

Strange enough, no one seemed to worry about what the Elders and I were discussing. I had planned to tell them everything. Stranger than that, Cain seemed to be unusually happy. Not that he wasn't normally happy, there was just something different in him.

Like this morning, at breakfast, his eyes had something different in them, a livelier orange than normal.

"I don't know." He said. "Normally when I have orange, it means I'm angry," he flipped a spoon and looked at them, "But they are normally darker, then." He stared at them for a few seconds, and then he got this knowing look on his face, which turned to a huge smile.

"What?" I asked with mouthful of berry pancakes.

"Why don't you use syrup?" he asked me. I knew he was trying to change the subject.

"It's good either way," I said. "This way's healthier."

"Alex," he said, "You're a Shifter. You don't have to worry about that."

"I know, it's just you never know." I said. Truthfully, I was a lot like Brittany. I didn't know what to expect from my first transformation. So, secretly, I have been trying to be as fit as possible. I had a feeling I would have to go through my first transformation alone.

"You really shouldn't be worrying about that." He said, reading my mind I assume. "You never know. You might not go through it alone."

"Yeah," I said. "You like this reading mind thing, don't you?"

"It's all right." He said. "It does get annoying."

"How? I would love to be able read minds." I said, looking at my hands. I knew that if I did have his power I would love to read his mind. It would be better than being scared to touch anyone. I don't know how to control this power, and I don't want to risk hurting someone.

"Well, back at the meeting, I could only read your mind," he started. "Here, I can read everyone's mind. Right now, it sounds like fifty people are whispering in my ears at once." I felt sorry for him. He probably doesn't even know his own thoughts are. "Luckily, I can hear yours loud at clear. I don't know how, but you shut the voices up."

That was shocking to say the least. It excited me that I help brought peace to his mind, but it also scared me that he knew exactly what I thought.

I could only smile as a response. It must have been a minute or two before I realized that we were just staring at each other, and that Lucas was standing quieting in front of us.

"Excuse me, Alex," Lucas started. That was embarrassing. It wasn't like Cain and I were doing anything, but I'm a bit of a private person. "But I need to talk to Cain in private."

I smiled and nodded at Lucas. It's not like I own him or anything. I can't stop him from that, and he certainly didn't have to explain himself to me. Cain smiled at me as he walked off with Lucas. Kayla and Lindsey took his place. They had a big, knowing smile on their face.

"May I help the two of you?" I asked.

"Did you hear about the bonfire tonight?" Lindsey asked overly excited for just a little bonfire. I nodded. "Well, are you going?"

"I don't know." I said. I don't think I should be near fire right now. Kayla and Lindsey looked worried. I didn't understand why. It's not like I have to be there.

"You know Cain's going to be there." Brittany said, sitting down at the table. _You know, it might be a good idea to get use to fire. Who you trying to fool, Alex? You want to see Cain._ I blushed, thinking that Cain would be near to hear my thoughts. The three of them smiled as if they could read my mind like him.

"So, you'll be there?" Kayla asked.

I bit my lip already regretting my decision. "Yeah, I'll go."

They all hugged me at once, and Lindsey grabbed my arm to pull me up carefully, avoiding harming my injuries. "Come on. We have to get you ready."

Before I could even protest, the three of them were gently pulling me to my room. Lindsey and Brittany went to their room to get 'supplies'.

"Why are we getting ready so early? The bonfire's tonight." I asked.

"First off, we aren't getting ready; we are getting you ready. Second, it's three o'clock; the bonfire's at seven." She said. My mouth dropped. I've really lost track of time. Plus, they are going to spend four hours getting me ready! What takes four hours?

Brittany and Lindsey walked in with arms full of clothes, hair products, and make-up. They spread everything out on the beds. After a minute, it started looking more like a department store than a bed.

"Curly or straight?" Lindsey asked.

"Curly," Brittany said.

"Straight," Kayla said.

They started discussing why and why not I should do my hair their way. This is getting ridiculous. What's so important about this bonfire? I love them, but they are so confusing at times.

"Let's do curly." Lindsey said, handing me heat-resistant shampoo, condition, and some kind of fruity body scrub-wash stuff.

"Body scrub?" I asked hypocritically arching my eyebrow.

"Just do it!" they laughed, pushing me into the bathroom. This was all very suspicious to me, but I decided to ignore it, and do what they told me. After a thirty minute shower, (forgive me for having outrageously thick and long hair) I walked in with them arguing over my clothes. I sure hope this doesn't break into a fight.

"I like the plaid shirt." I said. It was simple, white and blue, with three-fourths sleeves.

"I told you." Kayla said with a smile. Brittany walked me over to the hairdryer where she desperately tried to dry all my hair. From there, Kayla straighten every bit of it, leaving the tips close to my butt. As Lindsey was curling my hair, Brittany and Kayla were looking at make-up and clothes matches.

After Lindsey finished curling my hair into loose curls, I felt like my face was on fire. I was burning up with all the heat. Now, I understand the purpose of heat-resistant shampoo. They finally decided on the plaid shirt, dark jean short shorts, and (to my dismay) silver gladiator sandals.

"Seriously?" I asked, holding the sandals by the ankle straps. "You couldn't pick converses or something?

They laughed at me. "I tried to convince them." Brittany said. "There's no budging them."

With that, I reluctantly put them on. I looked at the clock to find that it was 6:30. "Don't you have to get ready?" I asked.

"We'll be ready in no time." Kayla said. "We have to do your make-up and we're through."

The next thing I knew, they were attacking me with brushes from all directions. I didn't mind wearing make-up, I just didn't do it much. Once they were finally through, I actually got a chance to look at myself.

They did an amazing job. It was actually worth being a life size doll for a few hours. The outfit was perfect, aside from the sandals. My hair was beautiful. Somehow they did this awesome, subtle poof (not like the bump-it poof) with my black curls. My make-up looked natural. Somehow, they didn't hide my freckles, but they hid the little scar on my forehead from a childhood accident. They didn't put any color on my lips just gloss to make them shine. My eyes were awesome. They did a smoky look with blue and a dark grey. It made my eyes pop.

"Dang." Brittany said. "We did a good job, if I don't say so myself."

"Yes you did." I said smiling.

"Your eyelashes are so long." Kayla said. "How in the world do you keep your eyes open?"

Everyone laughed. "You're worried about her eyelashes? You straighten her hair. You know how thick that hair is." Lindsey said.

"Well, forgive me." I said. "I'll tell them to stop growing."

They laughed at me. Brittany and Lindsey left to go get ready with the spare fifteen minutes they had.

"Why did you spend so much time on getting me ready?" I asked Kayla, as she quickly got ready.

She bit her lip, as if she were trying her best not to blurt out the truth to me. "We just thought it necessary." That confused me more. Is that some philosophical proverb she got from a fortune cookie? I decided to let it go. If it had to do with something tonight, it will happen, and I'll know then.

She got ready with five minutes to spare, so we met Brittany and Lindsey at their room. From there, we walked to where the bonfire is. Thinking back on what they actually put on my face, why did they put waterproof mascara on me? We're going to a bonfire, not a swimming pool. I'm tired of these girls' confusions.

The fire was already huge by the time we got there. There wasn't a single adult here, which was shocking. Immediately, I smelled alcohol. The adults really didn't mind this, since we aren't driving anywhere. All the people were here for the annual summer solstice. Last year was when Kayla changed, and so this solstice is a little special for her. She's through with high school and is transferring to Lucas's college.

I noticed that Kayla, Lindsey, and Brittany were staying with me. By now, they would have found their men. "You can leave me." I told them. "I can handle myself."

"Are you trying to get rid of us?" Lindsey joked.

"No, but I thought you guys might want to hang out with your men." I laughed.

"She might want to hang out with me." Cain said, walking up with two beers in hand. I noticed his eyes scanning up and down my body with a huge smile. _Thank you, girls._ I thought without thinking. After saying it, I knew that Cain had heard me.

"If y'all don't mind," he said. His country accent slipped out. I loved it. There's just something about country boys. "I'm going to kidnap her."

They nodded with a smile. He took me away from them, but it wasn't long before they weren't alone, if you know what I mean.

He wrapped his arm over my shoulder gently. "You look amazing." He whispered in my ear. I hear myself release a giggle as I blushed. A giggle?! I just giggled about something he whispered in my ear.

"Thanks." I said as he handed me a bottle of Coors. "At least you have good taste in beer."

He laughed, and we sat down on a log a few yards from the fire. "What type of shoes are those?"

"Gladiator sandals." I said sarcastically. "I begged them. I literally begged them for converses, but you see how that turned out."

"They're look cute-ish." He said. "Definitely not what I thought you would wear."

I laughed. "Cute-ish?" I asked taking a sip of my beer.

He nodded, taking a swig of beer. I looked him up and down. He had a blue and brown plaid button-up shirt on with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, dark jeans halfway tucked into his Justin boots. He looked like a mixture certified redneck and a country boy.

"Damn.." He spit his beer everywhere. "Now, that was a waste of beer." I said.

"You think I look hot." He stated it as if he knew for a fact.

I started stuttering incoherent words until I managed to say. "D-d-did I say th-th-that out loud?"

"Well, you said, 'Damn..'." he said laughing. "Don't worry, you're hotter than me."

"I'm-" I started. "Wait, what?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"I'm just saying."

"You did not just pull a Fired Up quote on me." I said. He fell on his back laughing.

"You've seen that movie?" he asked with a chuckle. I nodded as a response. From there, we talked about our favorite movies, sports, and music. We had similar taste. We both loved comedies and scary movies, nearly every sport except golf and tennis, and strange enough I admitted that I liked country and rock, also.

After my third beer (I have a high tolerance of alcohol), Lucas, Rafe, and Conner came to where we were. "We need to talk to you Cain."

He nodded and walked off with them. Like earlier today, Kayla, Lindsey, and Brittany replaced him.

"What's up with all of you today?" I asked. "You guys have been all secretive."

"You'll learn soon enough." Lindsey said in a cheerful tone.

"There you go again." I said. However, I popped another beer and decided to forget about it. Half way through the beer, I noticed the guys near the fire.

Conner made a loud whistle that silenced everyone. "Thanks, Conner." Cain said. "I have something very important to say."

Everyone was silent, yet anticipating. It seemed like everyone knew what was happening, except me. He turned his stare towards the crowd. "I declare Alexandra Maria Alexandrova my mate." **(A/N: Russians last names are made by their fathers' names. They take the last two letters off and add rov or rova depending on sex. Alexandra was named after her father Alexander, thus leading to the name Alexand-rova.)**

My mouth dropped. There was a collective gasp from the few people who didn't know. The others clapped and cheered. He turned towards me.

"Hold my beer." I told whichever girl was closest to me. I don't remember who it was because, at that moment, it was just me and him. I couldn't see anyone else. It was as if everyone else disappeared.

I don't remember how I got into his embrace, but the next thing I knew was his lips against mine. I felt electricity, not sparks, electricity, fly between us. The kiss heated my entire body and made me feel complete. Then, I heard loud howls and whistles from around us, reminding me that there were others around us. We separated quickly, and I felt myself blush deeply.

His fingers entwined in mine as Brittany, Lindsey, and Kayla came up with their men.

"Congratulations!" Kayla said, attacking me with a hug. I felt a sharp pain from the jolt, but I ignored it.

"You knew!" I yelled, hugging her back. "All of you!"

"Well, we couldn't tell you!" Lindsey said, giving me a gentler hug. Brittany hugged me next. She really didn't say anything, but I didn't blame her. She fell in love the old fashion way, the more romantic way if you ask me.

The guys gave Cain an awkward man-hug. "Well, time for you to get inked." Rafe said.

"Oh, I gotta see this." I said. I personally find tattoos very hot. I heard Cain laugh. I wish I could control my thoughts sometimes, or at least remember he can read mine.

"Well, let's go then." Cain said.

"Wait a second. Are you going to drive?" I asked.

"I've only had one beer." He said after reading my thoughts. "It's already worn off. I didn't have four like you."

"Ha. Ha." I said sarcastically. "If I were pulled over, you wouldn't have to worry about me."

"That so?" he asked. "Say your abc's backwards."

"Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A, Ha!" I said extremely fast. They all gave me a weird look. "I ain't never been pulled over, though."

"You ain't never?" Rafe said. "Looks like Cain's rubbing off on you."

"Naw." He drawled, causing everyone to laugh. We told everyone bye and went to his truck nearby. He cranked it up and started to drive to the local tattoo parlor.

**Hope y'all like it!!! The tattoo parlor is the next chapter. I think I'll do it in Cain POV… PLEASE REVIEW!!! I WANT TO KNOW Y'ALL OPINIONS!!!**

**Guns, Love, and Nuns,**

**Eve1313**


	4. Chapter 4: Tattoos

**Okay, I hope y'all like the last chapter and this one! PLEASE TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THIS FANFICTION!! I REALLY WANT EVERYONE'S OPINION.. REVIEWS PLEASE!!**

The ride wasn't too rough. My truck has all-terrain tires and a six-inch lift kit on it, so driving through the woods to get to the highway wasn't that hard. My mind kept wondering back to the bonfire while I drove, though. I don't really know what's with me. When I'm around Alex it's like I have this confidence I normally don't have. Plus, she looked so damn good.. Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts! It was hard to keep my hands to myself. Then, she didn't reject me when I declared her my mate.

Out of all the declarations I've heard over the years, this one was the most unorthodox. First off, just about everyone knew what was happening. It's normally a private battle with yourself, and you're silent until you come to the conclusion that that person is your mate. Second, the Elders got in the middle of it. The Elders never get in the middle of things of this sort, with Brittany and myself as an exception. Third, Alex is going with me to get the tattoo. I know that Kayla wasn't around when Lucas got his tattoo, Rafe got his in private, and Conner changed his as a surprise.

I hope I don't act like a wimp and start freaking out over the needle. Not like needles scare me or anything, it's just I ain't never got a tattoo before, so I don't know what to expect.

I felt Alex wrap her small hand in mine, bringing me out of my thoughts. "You know this tattoo is going to be very unique." I told her. She stared at me with a confused look. "Since your clan's is from Russian we added a little of your culture to it."

She smiled at me as her eyes started to fill with tears. I'll admit it, I panicked. I don't know how to deal with tears! I could try to comfort her, but I ain't the best at that either.

"_I can't believe he's doing that for me. He's so sweet!"_ I heard her think. That immediately relieved me. I really need to learn how to deal with tears.

The rest of the way there we held hands as she hummed "Country Man" by Luke Bryan with a big smirk on her face.

"Hey, Cain!" Will, the tattoo shop owner, said as soon as we walked in. He was also a fellow Shifter that's why we are able to get our tattoos at this age. "I got you sketched out over here."

He took us from the front to the back. It was like any ordinary tattoo parlor. There were the artists best tattoos placed on the wall. There was a mixture of smells that ranged from alcohol to smoke to blood. It wasn't a dark dungeon theme that most people think of when they think of tattoo shops. It was sort of like the rest of this town, a combination of old and new styles. It was very close to the halls of Wolford.

We walked to a large table with papers and pencils everywhere. He quickly shuffled through them and found my tattoo.

She gasped when she saw it. "That's sick." She said before quickly correcting herself. "I mean sick in the good way!"

"I took the two-headed eagle and Celtic symbol you gave me and made it into this." He started. It was perfect. The Celtic symbol was her name, which was printed on the eagle's stomach. "You said your left shoulder, right?"

I nodded. There still were stitches in my right shoulder from that tiger. He led us to one of the tattoo artist's stations, and then he left us.

"Hey, I'm Davis." He said smiling. This guy was new. I didn't know if he was a Shifter, but by his thoughts I knew I didn't like him. "_I would sure like to tattoo that girl right there._" I had to use all my strength not to beat the shit out of him. "Am I tattooing her?"

Did he really just try that? He can't be that stupid. He knows good and damn well who he's inking. I told myself before answering. "Nope. That's my tat."

He straightened up, set his jaw, and patted the seat. I quickly unbutton my shirt, and as I was doing that I heard Alex's thoughts. _"Daaaaaamn... Look at that and that and THAT… I wonder if he'll freak out it I touch him? What are you saying Alex!? He looks so damn good though… Oh shit! I hope I'm not drooling!"_

I couldn't help but laugh at her a little as the guy placed the stencil on my right shoulder. "Go check it out." He said in a forced voiced. I went over to the mirror, trying my best not to burst out laughing. Alex's thoughts were very flattering, but the way she thought them was just funny.

As soon as I got back to the chair he was at work. It really didn't hurt at all. It especially didn't hurt when I had Alex there to talk to.

"You know I have a secret to tell you." She started. I cocked my eyebrow up at her. "I've always secretly wanted a tattoo, even when I was younger."

"You can set an appointment up at the front desk. If you like what I did to him, then you can ask for me personally." Davis butted in. If he keeps on, after this tattoo, I'm going to hurt him.

She didn't even act like he commented. It was like she was 100% focused on me, and I loved that. "Well, we might have to get you one then." I said. She wasn't the only one who found tattoos attractive. They were probably more appealing to me than her, sexy even.

"Alright, but I ain't getting a tramp stamp." She said. I howled a laugh. I ain't heard that since I was a back in Texas.

"You know if you were to come with me to Texas, you would fit right in." I told her. She laughed at that.

"I don't think so." She started. "Though, I would love to go anytime."

While the artist was finishing, we were quiet. I was thinking about the possibility of taking her to Texas. She would get to meet my family. However, I don't really know if that will be good or bad. They didn't come for the solstices; they just let me go. She would probably like it, mud bogging and bonfires all the time.

The artist started cleaning it and telling me the details. He basically said that I need to up lotion on it because it'll scab. Normally, the Shifters would just change and heal quickly, but I haven't had my transformation yet. There's no way in hell I'm using lotion, though.

Alex and I went to the front to pay. "I know I won't be able to transform with you, but I could still be there with you during your transformation."

She had a sad smile on her face. I really wish I didn't bring up her transformation now. "I would love that." She said, grabbing my hand.

"You'll be oka-" I started before someone burst through the front door.

"We need to talk!" Brittany gasped in front of us. She looked like she was about to pass out. She grabbed Alex's and mine arm and pulled us to my truck. She pushed us in the truck and quickly jumped in. "Drive." She demanded. I knew it had to be really important, so I obeyed. "There was an ambush at Wolford. It was the Panthera. We are meeting the Elders in a secret location."

"Wait, they can smell for ten miles. They'll smell where we are going." Alex said. She was very serious and calm on the outside, but, by her thoughts, she was using every ounce of energy not to fall apart.

"We're backtracking. Don't worry we got that covered." She said. That may have settled that worry, but she started worrying about everyone else.

"Was anyone hurt?" she asked.

"There's a few injuries, but nothing major." Brittany said, as if she knew every question Alex was going to ask ahead of time. "Let's just focus on getting to the Elders right now."

**This was a little more of a cliffhanger! [I hope] I'm sorry that this chapter was sort of short. I would have continued it, but I really wanted to add a cliffhanger. Well, I'm not quite sure when I'm going to update. I have Easter to celebrate and school work to make up over this four-day weekend. Sorry y'all, but I will try my best to update soon. PLEASE REVIEW!! Reviews make me happy!:) They also make me write faster!:):) **


	5. Chapter 5: Seal It with a Kiss

**I'm so happy with the response I've got with this story! I wish I could write awesome chapters really quick for y'all.. I have had personal problems that blocked my writing. I'm sorry!:( PLEASE REVIEW!**

**DISCLAIMER: I AIN'T RACHEAL HAWTHORNE, AND I DON'T OWN THE DARK GUARDIAN SERIES(this is for the rest of the story, because I'm tired of writing disclaimers.)**

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**APOV (Alex's)**

The ride to this 'secret location' was excruciating. Cain was speeding, but it wasn't enough. It felt agonizingly slow even though trees zoomed past us, almost as fast as my heart rate. I couldn't help but worry about everyone in the ambush._ "I wonder how bad the injuries were. I wonder if it was anyone close to me. I wonder if I was killed along with my family would everyone else be safe." _

"Please don't think that." Cain whispered to me. I heard the pain in his voice, and that pain showed ten times worse in his face. I gave him an apologetic look and squeezed his hand.

The rest of the trip was silence, other than Brittany's quiet directions. Cain used his thumb to rub small circles in my hand, trying to calm me.

"Right here!" Brittany said, making me jump. I can't help to be on edge. This is the second attack from the Pantheras, but this time it involved the entire clan. _I wish I could stop them. I don't like other people getting hurt for my problems. _

Cain quickly parked, and we jumped out. Brittany started sprinting into the woods. We went deeper and deeper into the woods, until it became so dark I couldn't see my own hand. And right on cue, I trip over a root.

"Damn it." I muttered as I tried to get back up.

"Let me help you." Cain chuckled, and then surprised me by throwing me over his shoulder.

"You're not going to be able to run." I said in a matter-of-fact tone. He snorted and started sprinting. "Show-off." I stated. We reached the camp in about five minutes. The Dark Guardians were circled around the Elders discussing possible strategies.

"I've brought Alex and Cain." Brittany said as we approached. "They are safe."

"Yeah, they barely finished my tattoo." Cain joked. Everyone laughed nervously.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked, trying to get right to the point.

"Everyone that was injured has healed now. There is no one to worry about." Lucas said.

"That's what you guys don't understand." I blurted out. "There's everyone to worry about. No one is safe when I'm here. The Pantheras are relentless and bloodthirsty. They will not stop until I'm dead, and they don't mind killing anyone that dare gets in their way!"

"You have to have more faith in us than that, Alex." Rafe said.

"It's not that I don't have faith in you guys." I started. "I just don't like that people are getting hurt because of me."

"It's our job to protect our people." Conner said. "Whether you realize it or not, you are one of those people."

"I also can stop these attacks." I said. "Elders, let me go to Russia. I can lure them away from here."

"And what? Leave you to be killed?" Elder Wilde asked. "That is unacceptable."

"Can I at least go to find out about my culture?" I asked. "My change is coming up. I would actually be able to help you, if I survive it. I could help defeat them. Please, I'm begging!"

Elder Wilde opened his mouth to argue, but he quickly shut it. I'm not one to beg, so they knew I really wanted to do this. I felt my throat tighten and my eyes start to water. _"No, I will NOT cry in front of everybody."_ I told myself.

The Elders glanced at each other and nodded. They must have agreed to let me. "Alex, we understand your need to learn about your culture, especially with the full moon approaching, but we just can't send you to Russia. It is too dangerous, and we aren't going to let you get yourself killed just to save the rest of us."

I got so angry that I just stormed off. I felt so ashamed doing it and just like a little brat, but I didn't care.

"Alex, come on. Wait a minute!" Cain yelled chasing after me. For some reason, that just made me madder.

"Don't follow me!" I yelled, spinning around fast. The next the horrified me. As I spun around, I somehow sprayed fire towards Cain. There wasn't enough time to stop it or block it or anything. I wouldn't even know how to stop it. All Cain could do was cover his face with his arms. He didn't scream in pain, but I could see it on his face. I felt immediately guilty. I looked from Cain to the others. They looked horrified also. _"I can't believe I've done this. I can't even control this monstrous thing they call a 'gift.' I have to get out of here. I'm so sorry Cain. I never meant to hurt you."_

I ran straight for the woods. I didn't care if I couldn't see. I didn't care if I got hurt. I didn't even care if there were Pantheras out there. At least that way they would leave the closest thing to a family I have, and I won't be able to hurt the ones that mean the most to me.

I tripped multiple times and had many tree branches smack me in the face, but I didn't feel it. I went numb. I don't know how or why neither did I care. I finally stumbled upon a huge tree. I felt a thick, low-hanging branch and started to climb. I let my hands guide me up until I couldn't find any more branches.

There I sat, hoping that if anything found me it would be a Panthera.

**CPOV (Cain's)**

I winced as the nurse wrapped my burns, but it wasn't from the pain. It was from Alex's thoughts. She became extremely angry, and her powers got out of control. It was an accident and she thought like she would never forgive herself for it. It was just burns. They would heal over time. Just if I had already changed! I would heal quicker and Alex would actually have a mate that could help her through her change.

I had to get out there. I have to find her!

"You know this isn't your fault." Elder Wilde said. "If it's anyone's fault, it would be the Pantheras. The rest is all coincidences."

"With all due respect sir, I don't believe in coincidences." I said, getting up from the chair.

"We have a group looking for her. Cain, you need to rest. Your body has been through a lot over the past few weeks."

"Please, I need to talk to her, Elder Wilde." I said. He reluctantly nodded, and with that, I ran for the woods. I knew I didn't have the smelling ability of the others, but I could hear her thoughts. I just have to focus. _"Where are you, Alex?"_ I thought hard.

"_Was that Cain?" _I heard her think. _"I don't see him anywhere, but I can see anyway. God, I really hope he's okay. I can't face him right now. There's gotta be somewhere to hide."_

"_Please, Alex! Don't leave." _ I thought as hard and loud as possible. I don't know if this is part of my ability, but somehow I'm able to communicate with her. I tried to follow her thoughts.

"_I must be hearing things.."_ She thought.

"_Alex, you ain't hearing things!" _I thought urgently._ "Please, tell me where you are. I want to talk to you."_

"_I've gone crazy. I've had a mental breakdown." _She thought. _"Oh God, how am I going to tell Cain his mate is a schizophrenic?"_

"_You're not a schizophrenic!" _I yelled at her. I couldn't help but laugh. This girl's crazy.

"_That's what the voices are supposed to tell me."_ She argued.

"_Alex! It's me, Cain. I don't know how, but I'm able to communicate with you mentally."_

"_You really think I'm going to fall for that act?" _She asked. Her thoughts have gotten louder. I must be close.

"_Come on, Alex." _I thought. _"If you were a schizophrenic wouldn't you have hallucinations?"_

"_Not technically. It really depends on the type of schizophrenic." _If this wasn't a dire emergency, I would be on the floor dying of laughter. This girl is really something. Her thoughts are really loud, though. She has to be close.

"_Ouch…"_ I thought. I just ran into a tree.

"_Dude, you're a figment of my mentally disturbed imagination. You can't feel pain. Why'd you say ouch?"_

It's like she's talking right above me, but how? The tree! _"Why in the world did you climb a tree?"_

"_That is none of your business."_ She thought. She's really getting an attitude with what she thinks is her schizophrenic voice. I started to climb the slowly. I have no idea how she did it.

"Alex." I said quietly. "What are you doing in a tree?"

"Okay, that voice seemed realer." She said aloud.

"That's cause it is a real voice." I said, getting closer to her.

"Cain?" She asked in a panic tone. "What are you doing here? You need to leave. I could hurt you, again."

"I'm fine," I said, "And you ain't a schizophrenic. That was me talking to you."

"Oh thank God," she said, completely relieved.

"Got you." I whispered to her as I hugged her. She yelped and jumped at the same time. We started to fall of the branch. "Oh shit!"

We started falling quickly. My instincts were to protect Alex. I quickly turned to where I would take the impact of the ground. Before I knew it, we splashed on the ground. Wait… splashed? Dear Lord, it was a freezing-cold lake.

"Are you okay?" She half-whispered and half-spluttered. I nodded, also spitting out water. "Your arms…" she said. Her fingers had ghost-like touches as she caressed my arms. "I wish I could help you. It seems all my powers do is hurt people."

"That's not true." I said softly. She didn't meet my eyes. She was staring at my burns. I tried to get her attention, but it was like she was in a trance. Then, the water started to glow around us. I felt the pains in my arms and back diminish.

"What happened?" she asked me, wide-eyed and innocently.

"I think you just healed me." I chuckled.

"B-but, how?" she asked.

"I don't know. Let's just get out of here." I said, pulling her out of the water.

"Wait!" she said. "I can't go back. I lashed out on all of you, and I hurt you. You can't just forget stuff like that."

"And yet, I did." I said. "Look, you scared me when you ran away. I really didn't know what you were going to do. You shouldn't blame yourself for an accident. And that was just what that was – an accident."

"But-" she started.

"But nothing. You need to understand that things happen that we can't control." I think she knew I meant more than just this accident. I don't know how, but I knew she blamed herself for her parents death. She thinks the fact that she wasn't there to die with them, it was all her fault, which is completely untrue.

She nodded. "Cain, I'm going to Russia. I know the Elders disagreed, but I have to go."

"I didn't expect anything different from you." I said. "I'm coming with you."

She had a huge smile on her face. "I didn't expect anything different from you."

She looked me in the eyes, and I met her gaze. Then, my eyes slowly went to her lips. I slowly lean into her until our foreheads were touching. I snaked my arm around her waist and cupped her face with the other hand. I gently kissed her lips, until she snaked both her hands in my hair and crushed her lips to mine. The kiss heated quickly. I wrapped both my arms around her and pulled her as close to me as humanly possible. She slightly parted her lips and moaned when my tongue plunged in her mouth.

"I found them!" Rafe said. "Oh… Should I come back later?" He was trying his best to suppress a laugh.

I glared at him. He just continued to laugh. I looked down at Alex. She looked like a happy mess. Her hair was messy, her lips were red, and she was trying to catch her breath. She wore this smirk on her face that drove me wild.

"Whoa, ho, ho." Lucas said. "Looks like we've interrupted something."

"Will y'all just shut up?" Alex said.

"One little kiss. It looks like the country accent's contagious." Conner joked.

"ублюдки!" she said storming off. I ran after her, following her like a lost puppy.

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**AGAIN! I'M SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! PLEASE REVIEW! **

**P.S. – the Russian word in the end means "bastards!" haha… it was all in good spirit.**


	6. Chapter 6: Advancing Powers and Plans

**Everyone of y'all that reviewed, added my story to your alerts, or added my story to your favorites are the best! ****IMPORTANT: I'd like to point out that I haven't read the fourth book yet, so if there is anything in this fanfiction that is in that book, it's a complete coincidence.**

**Also, I was very scared to publish this chapter. I'm not sure if it's really that good. PLEASE REVIEW! I need to know if I'm over criticizing myself and your opinion!**

**APOV (Alex's)**

That was the most amazing kiss ever! Even though we were soaking wet and freezing, I felt like my body was on fire as soon as his lips touched mine. The entire atmosphere around us was electric. It was nearly perfect, nearly. Other than the part where y died of embarrassment when the they found us. When they showed up, I completely forgot about what happened in the water. I somehow healed Cain. Not that I'm complaining, I like the fact that my abilities aren't all destructive. At least now, I can fix what I break.

By the time we got back to the campsite the Elders, Kayla, Brittney, and Lindsey were standing around a fire, waiting for us.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Brittney said as we approached them. "You can't just run off like that in the middle of a potently tiger infested forest!"

"Geez," I said, raising my hands defensively. "I'm sorry, Mom."

I heard Cain snort behind me as I dropped my hands.

"You had us worried sick, Alex." Kayla said sincerely. I was waiting for Lindsey to jump in, but she just stared at me. I really couldn't tell if she was mad or worried.

"Let's just talk about what happened before that." Lucas suggested as the tension reached its peak. He, along with Rafe and Conner, had quickly and quietly moved over to their mates.

"Alex," Elder Wilde started, "We understand your anger, and you shouldn't feel guilty for what happened to Cain. You need to understand it was an accident, and it wasn't your fault." I just nodded. I've argued enough with him today, but that doesn't mean I don't mentally disagree. If I would have kept my emotions checked, then I probably wouldn't have burned Cain, then I probably wouldn't have run in the woods, causing everyone to panic and go looking for me.

"You have abilities that none of us has experience with, and that does mean we'll make mistakes. Right now, your main priority should be focused on your abilities." Elder Wilde continued.

"Speaking about my abilities, I somehow healed Cain's wounds." I said. The Elder looked at me slightly confused, so I continued. "We fell in the water and started talking. Then, his wounds started to glow a blue color."

"Actually, both of our wounds glowed." Cain jumped in. I was shocked, so I hesitantly moved my shoulders. Other than a little soreness, there was no pain.

"What about your power?" I asked. "Somehow he was able to communicate with me mentally, and I know I didn't read his mind because I can't hear any thoughts except my own now."

I looked to the Elders for any possible answers to how this was even imaginable. They were in deep thought, but it somehow looked like they were having a conversation with each other mentally. I wouldn't be surprised. The Elders are probably the most powerful people in this entire clan.

"Alex, we might know more, if we could get back to Wolford." Elder Wilde said. At that moment, reality sunk in. The Pantheras could possibly do the same things to Wolford as they had done to my homeland. They were taking over it.

I had to get it back. I can't let an entire clan lose their roots because of me. I will have to get Wolford back at any cost. I was already powerful enough to take on at least one Panthera. With my first transformation just two weeks away, I could defeat the Pantheras and stop this war once and for all.

I had to get to Russia—quick. Cain and I will search until the day of my first transformation. If we find nothing, then I'll go through the transformation alone and will do everything in my power to survive. For the first time in a long time, I felt like my normal self. I felt empowered and determined.

"We shall plan tomorrow bright and early." Elder Wilde said. "Everyone get their rest, it's been a long day."

Exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks. I quickly said goodbye to everyone and gave Cain a quick peck on the lips, which still sent sparks everywhere and made my heart skip a beat. I quickly made it to the tent where Kayla, Lindsey, Brittney, and I were staying; as soon as I hit the sleeping bag, I was out.

_I looked around. I was in a flat meadow with a small pond in the far right corner. It was a bitter-cold night, which is odd for the summer night here. I tried to rub my arms and get some heat, but instead of feeling my bare arms, I felt silk. I had on the normal white robe worn by females during their first transformation. I quickly looked up at the sky. It was a cloudless, star-filled night with a full moon near its zenith. Midnight was approaching. I was either going to live a Shifter or die a Static. I closed my eyes and waited for my faith to come._

_If I were to say I wasn't scared, I would be lying. My heart was racing, my hands were sweating, and I couldn't help but bounce off the balls of my feet. I felt my first glimpse of moonlight and thought my heart jumped out of my chest. It started to burn my skin to its melting point. Not only did it feel like my skin was melting off, but my blood was boiling. Then the moonlight got heavier and heavier. It felt as if every bone in my body was breaking from the weight. I crumbled to the ground. I started to twitch; my muscles began to convulse. I tried to scream, to call for help, but I couldn't breathe. I felt my lungs collapse and my trachea constrict. Then, there were black spots everywhere. The spots grew and multiplied until there was nothing but darkness. The light may have disappeared, but the pain grew to an excruciating level. _

I woke up to a blood-curling scream – my blood-curling scream. "Alex! Wake up!" Kayla yelled. I was gasping for air. When I finally was able to focus, I noticed that Kayla, Brittney, and Lindsey were surrounding me, wide-eyed and scared shitless.

"I'm sorry.." I finally said. "I just had a bad dream."

"You're apologizing for having a bad dream?" Lindsey asked.

"Yeah, I guess." I started. "It's fine though, I just need some fresh air."

They looked at me skeptically. "Maybe we should go with you." Kayla suggested.

"No, I'm fine. I-I need some space, some time to think. Alone." I said. They looked at each other then back at me. After a few seconds of their scrutinizing stares, I got up and went out the tent.

I felt a gush of cold air as I opened the tent. It felt good, invigorating. It helped me think clearer. I started walking around the camp; I knew that there was a Dark Guardian keeping guard, but I really didn't care. I reached a small stream outside of the camp sight. I sat on the back and put my feet in the cool water. My mind started to wonder on all the necessities for the Russian trip.

_I would need to pack foods that could stand not being refrigerated, extra clothes, and money. Somehow, I need to pack light. I could dress in layers, but it's going to be difficult in the summer. _

_There's no way we could buy plane or boat tickets to Russia. I've saved all my sherpa's money, but that would have to be put towards supplies. _

_The major question is 'How are we going to get to from Montana to Russia?'_

"We could cross the Bering Strait." Cain whispered, coming out of nowhere.

"Could we afford that?" I asked. I really wasn't shocked. If he can find in a pitch-black forest, I'm pretty sure he can find me a mile from the campsite. He sat down beside me.

"We don't have to ride on a boat," Cain said, "Especially since we have our very own ice bridge maker."

"What?" I whispered harshly. "I don't even know how to control my abilities yet."

"This is the part where we actually listen to the Elders." Cain said with a wicked grin. "We train."

"For how long?" I asked. "We need to get to Russia as soon as possible."

"Just a few days." He said. "That way we'll have some time to gather supplies."

"Do you realize how long it will take us to get to Russia?" I asked.

"If we take my truck, one full day of driving." He said.

"You don't actually think you're going to drive that thing over the ice." I asked skeptically.

"Hey now, don't doubt a Ford."

"I don't doubt the Ford, I'm doubting the ice."

He laughed at me, then went silent. He was thinking hard about something. "Why were you out here?" He whispered. "Was that your screams I heard?"

I bit my lip, choosing my words wisely. "Yeah… I had a bad dream."

"What happened?" he asked. "In the dream?"

I didn't say anything. I really didn't want to tell him. I didn't want to tell anyone what I'm scared of the most.

"Come on, Alex." He said. I just shook my head no, trying my best not to think about it. "Alex. You can't keep everything bottled up." I started singing the Russian alphabet in my head to block him from reading my thoughts. "Alexandra." He said sternly.

I don't know what happened next. It was as if the entire dream just flashed inside my mind.

"You're scared this is going to happen to you?" he asked me after processing the dream.

"_Not really…" _I thought. I couldn't trust my voice right now. Plus, I didn't think about the dream by myself… It was like Cain made me think that. _"I'm scared I'm not going to survive the transformation."_

"Alex. I promise you this." He said, grabbing my hands and looking straight into my eyes. "I will do everything in my power to help you through your transformation. You will not have to go through this alone." He said. As my eyes watered, I gave Cain a bear hug. We must have sat there for hours, just holding each other. I was content with this because I was truly afraid of losing him through this entire process.

Finally, something snapped me back to my previous thought. "Cain?"

"Hmm?"

"You somehow made me think about my dream." I said. "I know it sounds weird, but I didn't mean to think about it. I was forced to."

"And you believe that was me?" He asked.

"Yes," I stated. "It seems like our abilities are expanding rapidly."

"Maybe before we start training, we should do a little research." Cain said, releasing his hug. "We could ask the Elders if we could go to town library. They'll have computers and books we can look through."

"You think they will let us go?"

"They told you to focus on your powers, so they should let us."

"You want to go ask them now?" I asked.

"Alex, it's still night." He snorted.

"Not really." I said, pointing towards the horizon. The sun was slowly creeping out of the waters and into the sky.

"I guess we should then." Cain said and started to get up from his seat.

"Wait." I said as I grabbed his arm.

"Wha-?" He started to say before I interrupted him… with my lips. "Um," He said trying to form words. "What was that for?"

"For being there for me." I said. Then, I walked off to the Elders' tent, but I didn't need to turn around to know that Cain was following me.

**I'm sorry this chapter took so long, and it was shorter than the others. I'm really hoping that you like it, and I also hope to have these next few chapters up quicker. **

**P.S. I've gotta a couple of new characters coming in!:) I'll give the names, but you'll have to wait for them to come in. Expect an Allison, Anthony, and Aaliyah(pronounced u-lie-u) **

**AGAIN! PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED TO KNOW HOW I COULD MAKE THIS STORY BETTER!**


	7. Chapter 7: New Discoveries

**Not much to say.. except I'M SORRY! I can't seem to write my chapters fast enough! Please forgive me! AND REVIEW! This chapter is dedicated to vampire-wolfgirl1. HOPE YOU LIKE IT!**

**APOV(Alexandra)**

Asking the Elders to go to the library was easy. As soon as they gave us permission, we made a beeline to his truck, and he quickly drove to the library. Once we arrived, we headed to the computers

Before the internet browser could load, I had already typed in Google's site into the URL browser. I typed, "the ability to control water and fire," and many links popped up. I clicked on a Wikipedia link talking about superhuman abilities. It was a decent size page, so I looked through the contents and found a couple of interesting things. I left-clicked on a link called "Classical Elements" and another named "ESP" to open them in a different tab.

I glanced over the "Classical Elements." All it did was gave a name for my ability. Pyrokinesis is controlling fire and heat, Hydrokinesis is controlling water, and Cryokinesis is controlling the cold and essentially ice. With nothing else to learn from that, I went on the other tab. "ESP" had multiple abilities dealing with the mind, but only the last one interested me. "Telepathy: the ability to read thoughts of, or communicate with others."

I noticed there was a link to Telepathy, so I clicked it. In the introduction paragraph, it mentioned that Telepathy and Psychokinesis were the same thing. With this in mind, I clicked Psychokinesis. It was another decent sized page, so I looked through the contents and found a strange phrase, "Umbrella Term." It talked about Pyrokinesis, Hydrokinesis, and just about any type of supernatural kinesis; supernatural healing; telepathy; and most shocking shape-shifting. **(A/N: I know reading about someone's search on the internet must have been the most boring thing ever, but I wanted to put it in here, so y'all won't be like "How the hell did she find all this information?" 'Cause I know I would be..)**

I patted Cain's arm beside me. "Look."

"What?" He said, reading the screen. He ended up just reading my mind about it. "Shapeshifting? You think Psychokinesis has something to do with our ability to change?"

"I'm not sure, but we need to do some more digging." I said, and he nodded in agreement. Then, he glanced back at his computer screen and frowned.

"I got nothing." He said. "I guess they wouldn't keep the readings on the internet."

"I guess not." I laughed. "I bet the Elders have some idea about this Psychokinesis."

"Let's go then." He said, standing up. I followed him out of the library quietly, but as soon as we got in his truck, he spoke up again. "I found a place for us to practice with your abilities."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's near a river, so we can see if you can control water or just the temperature of it." He said.

"_Joy.."_ I thought sarcastically.

"Hey now," he started, "A negative attitude ain't going to help you one bit."

I couldn't help but snort at him. It was obvious that he wanted to respond, but he settled with a sigh instead. This ended the conversation and made most of the ride silent, leaving me with time to think about questions to ask the Elders. I was ecstatic at the thought that I might actually receive answers for my strange abilities. Not only will I get answers, but control over these abilities. _Yes, I'll admit it. The thought of controlling this was uplifting, so I guess I am a __**little**__ excited about practicing._

"That's my girl." Cain said with a smile. I know it's very high school, but I felt a twinge of happiness being called his girl. He intertwined his fingers in mine and we rode the rest of the way in silence.

Once we made it back to camp, we started looking for the Elders. However, our hopes of finding them were crushed once Lucas informed us that they were in the middle of an important meeting and didn't want to be disturbed.

"Don't worry, Alex." Cain said happily. "That just leaves us more time to practice."

"Well, let's get to it, then." I said.

He laughed and grabbed my hand. We started heading towards the woods, which seem all too familiar. I just couldn't place where I remember them. As we hiked in silence, I kept thinking back on how I knew this place. It didn't come to me until we reached the river he told me about. This is where I healed us, and that was the tree we nearly killed ourselves falling. I focused more on the river. It was more pleasant because not only did I heal us, but Cain gave me one hell of a kiss there.

Cain tried to hide his laugh with a cough. "Why don't we get started?" He stated with a smirk.

I nodded, staring at the water. After a few moments of shear awkward silence, I turn to Cain. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Try to control the water." He said.

I restrained from saying, "Thank you, Captain Obvious, Lieutenant Sarcasm over and out." Instead, I decided to ask, "How?"

He shook his head at my thoughts. "Just focus on it and do what's natural."

Again, I nodded and looked at the water. Thinking back on my previous episodes with my abilities, I noticed that I sprayed fire with a swing of my arm. Maybe water is the same way, so I swung my arm with complete concentration of the water.

The water became a huge wave that followed the motion of my arm. The wave was huge due to the momentum of my swing.

"Woe, turn it down, Hoss." Cain joked.

"Sorry." I whispered. Then, I turned my attention back to the water. I decided to try and lift a little bit of the water up. I raised my left hand slowly and fluidly, imagining the water to sliver into the air. And you know what, it did! I was so happy with myself that I lost concentration and started squealing.

"Did you see that?" I said, truly excited. This meant to me that there was hope for my abilities, that I could control and possibly use them for good.

"That was amazing." Cain said, smiling at me. "Try to make a ball of water."

I smiled back at him and nodded eagerly. Then, I turned my face serious and focused on the water again. I lifted my left hand again, copying my previous motions, but this time I took my right hand and made a circle starting near the top of my hand and ending at the bottom.

I watched as the water slowly formed into a ball. I resisted the urge to celebrate and focused on control the water. I began to move, twist and bend my arms, wrists, and fingers to test how the water would react.

The practice was going good. Cain had took a seat on a nearby rock and was watching me carefully. I was in the middle of making the water flow around my body when I heard a twig snap. Out of panic, I whipped the water around towards the noise.

I heard someone curse in confusion as Cain and I quickly headed over to the voice. I was completely shocked when I found two people, one girl and one boy, with frozen legs. I started mentally beating myself up. _These could be two statics. How could I explain to them that their legs miraculously froze in the middle of summer?_

"Don't worry, Alex." Cain said. "They're shifters."

"How do you know that?" I asked. "I haven't seen them around camp."

"That's because they are from Colorado. They're looking for Wolford."

"How do you know that?" the male asked. I took in his appearance as Cain explain is mind reading ability. He had the most vibrant green eyes I had ever seen. His hair was midnight black and short, but it seemed to grow upward naturally. His tan skin made his eyes pop even more.

"They have extra abilities like you, Anthony." The girl said. She had dark, brown hair that was complimented with natural, lighter brown streaks. Its style and length were simpler to mine, except she didn't have bangs. Her eyes were also green, but a paler color. She had freckles, but they were faint from her natural tan.

"Allison." Anthony hushed her. They both look naturally fit and strong, like any other Shifter.

"You have an extra ability?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I'll tell you all about it, if you can unfreeze us. It's terribly cold."

I looked over at Cain, and he gave me encouraging smile.

"_You froze them when you panic, try relaxing."_ I heard his voice ring in my head. I nodded and concentrated. Then, I rose my hands and began to relax a little. Immediately, it shifted back to water, and from there, I put the water back into the river.

"That was amazing." Allison said in awestruck.

"Thank you," I said, smiling at her, "And I'm sorry for doing that. I'm trying to learn how to control my abilities, so I slip up from time to time."

"It's okay!" Allison said. I could tell that she was a good person right off the bat.

"You have an extra ability?" Cain asked Anthony, trying to get back on track.

"Yeah, I can make myself and objects or people around me invisible." He said. My eyes went wide. _That ability is really something._

"Can you show us?" I asked. He nodded and then disappeared the next second. "Wow. Cain, you got to admit that's pretty cool."

He nodded as Anthony reappeared. "Y'all probably want to follow us to the campsite." Cain said, studying Anthony. "Wolford isn't a safe place right now."

I could tell they wanted to ask why, but didn't push for an answer. "It's a really long story," I started, "We can talk about it on the way to the camp."

Allison looked ready to go, but Anthony obviously wasn't sure. However, he reluctantly nodded in approval.

"I guess we'll have to cut practice short today, Cain." I said with a big grin.

"Oh, I've got a plan, Alex. Don't you worry. You'll be able to practice once we get back." He said, triumphantly smiling. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed. "Come on, let's go."

Cain grabbed my hand, and we were off. Anthony was on Cain's left, and Allison was on my right. As Cain explain the story, Allison nudged me. "You two are so cute together."

"Thank you, Allison." I smiled. "He's my mate."

"Oh please, call me Alli. Did I hear you say mate?" she asked. "I'm sorry, but I'm sort of new to this. My sister didn't even tell me about the Shifter world until after I started noticing changes about her. I have to admit, I was pretty upset with her, but Anthony, my best friend, told me he would take me to Wolford where I can learn about everything."

"Oh, wow," I said. That was shocking. I kind of felt sorry for her. She was given a bombshell; Shifters who lived in Tarrant just grew up with the idea of shifting. Turning all wolfy was as natural as the abc's to us. Now I was about to deliver her the bombshell about mates. _I really hope she doesn't freak out about having to have a mate to survive her first transformation._

"Are you kidding me?" she said, once I finished explaining. "I'm sixteen. I've only got a year to find a mate."

I glanced over at Cain and Anthony. He was staring at Alli as Cain had stared at me. "From the looks of it, you won't have to search far."

"What?" she asked in confusion. I shook my head; the girl can't even see how crazy he is for her. I've known them for barely a hour, and **I** can see how he feels for her.

That put a stop to our conversation, also the fact that the camp was in sight. As soon as we got there, Cain directed Anthony and Alli to Lucas. Since the Elders were still in their meeting, we had to go with next in line.

"These are some new Shifters." Cain said to Lucas. "Elder Wilde knows about their coming. We just didn't want to disturb the meeting."

Lucas nodded. "Okay, I'll take them from here."

"I'll catch up with you later, Alli." I said, waving goodbye. She returned the wave and agreed.

I turn toward Cain just in time to see a water bottle come flying at my face. Thanks to my reflexes, I caught it. "Get ready for some more practice." He said, smiling.

**Are these mysterious new shifters who they say they are? Will they turn out to be Pantheras? What possibly could the Elders be having such a serious meeting about? PLEASE REVIEW! Tell me what you think about the new characters and how you think the story's going so far! **


	8. Chapter 8: Playfulness and Seriousness

**APOV (Alex's)**

Cain and I burned the rest of daylight practicing with the water in the bottle. I have to say I was amazed by the amount of things I could do to water. I was able to expand and condense it to unbelievable measures, to change it from water to ice to snow to fog, and finally had decent control over its movements.

By the time it got dark, I was completely spent. I wanted to head straight for my tent, but Cain insisted that I get something to eat before I went to sleep. I was about to protest, but my stomach's growls were too loud to ignore.

Cain walked me to a log surrounding a fire and went to get us something to eat. As soon as he left, Allison sat to the right of me.

"Hey, girl." I said with a smile.

"Hey," she smiled back. "Where's your mate?"

The way she said it made me blush, but it also made me happy. It reminded me that I had someone no matter what happens in this world. "Getting me some food. Where's Anthony?"

"Same as Cain." She said.

I nodded. "So…" I started. I suck at starting conversations, so I decided to go straight to the point. "Why didn't your parents tell you about the Shifter world?"

I knew it was a rude question to ask, but I needed to check her story out. For all I know, she could be a Panthera trying to get on the inside. There was no room for error when you had a shit load of evil shifters trying to attack you.

"Well, they died when I was really young, so my sister and I were shipped off to a distant cousin." She said. My eyes widen; I felt sorry for her and felt really bad for bringing up the subject. I know what it's like to lose your parents. "It's okay, Alex, I didn't know them that well. Anyway, after Simon came to town I noticed something different about my sister. I confronted her about it, and she told me about shifters, obviously leaving out the mate part. Then, I decided to leave Colorado and find out about my true past. That's when Anthony confessed to me that he was a Shifter and told me he would take me to Wolford. Now that I know about the mate thing, it explains why she changed when Simon showed up."

I nodded. If she lied, she layered it so well that I couldn't tell; so I told her my story about my parents, the Pantheras, the fact that I was a Siberian husky Shifter, and the war between my clan and the Pantheras.

"Oh. My. God," Were her only words before both Cain and Anthony came with steaks and drinks.

Cain sat on my left, and Anthony sat by Alli. Anthony asked her what was wrong, and she told him about my story. While they were talking back and forth, Cain's voice came in my head.

"_I read Anthony's thoughts and was able to see his past thoughts without him know. So far, their story checks out."_

I nodded and took a bite of my steak. _"Alli told me her background story. I don't think she's lying, but do you mind checking to make sure?"_

He nodded and then zoned it. I guess that was him decoding Alli's thoughts. Cain's abilities keep growing, and he just takes them in stride. I'm glad that at least one of us can control their abilities with ease.

"_She's telling the truth."_ I thought she was, and I feel horrible not trusting her. However, when two people show up randomly after the Pantheras attacked Wolford you get suspicious.

"_I'd like to know Anthony's background story." _I thought to Cain. _"I just don't see why he went with them to Colorado."_

"_That's easy." _Cain said. _"His parents live in Colorado."_

"_That's a weird coincidence." _ I thought more to myself than to Cain.

"_His mother and Allison's distant cousin were best friends. They both weren't big fans of Tarrant's small town atmosphere, so they decided to move to Denver."_

"_Was his father a static?" _I asked.

"_Sorta," he started. "His father had a father that was a Shifter and a mother who was a static. He never got the Shifter gene, but was able to pass it down to Anthony."_

It amazed me how much information Cain could get with his powers, and they keep progressing at an unbelievable rate. He's able to tap into not only the thoughts of the people around him, but the people in those in thoughts. He can make you think about your past, take thoughts from other people and put them into your head, and communicate with you mentally.

"Yo, Alex." Someone said, after throwing a dinner roll at my face. "Eat your food before it gets cold."

I looked around. Lucas, Rafe, Conner, Daniel had sat around the fire with their mates. I turned to the perp, Rafe, and took a bite of the roll. "You're not getting it back."

Everyone laughed at that, even Alli and Anthony. I introduced them to everyone formally, indicating who was with who.

"So are the two of you mates?" Kayla asked. She saw the connection as I did, I'm sure everyone did.

Neither of them replied. I didn't have to be able to read minds to know that they were thinking about it. It was obvious that they both wanted to be, but were too scared to say anything. The only thing that filled this silence was awkwardness.

I wanted to give a distraction, so I uncrossed my legs a little too dramatic to kick Alli's plate out of her hand.

"I'm so sorry!" I said, helping her clean up the mess. "I'll go with you to get some more food."

"Smooth, Alex." Brittany laughed. I went off with Alli to get her some more food, but not before giving Brittany the bird.

"Sorry, Alli. I was just trying to help with the awkward moment." I said.

"It's alright." She laughed, but then her face turned serious. I was about to say something encouraging, but Cain's thoughts stopped me.

"_Alex, I remember Anthony! He came around two years ago and claimed Allison his mate. I guess he never told her."_

"_It's understandable. He'd have to start off explaining the entire concept of shifting to her. That alone can be a headache."_

"_Well, he's got to tell her sometime."_

"_I'm sure he will, when the times right. That's not a conversation you'd want to have in front of everybody."_

"Come on, Alli, let's head back to the fire." I said with a smile. She shyly nodded. Luckily, by the time we got back the subject had turn to a lighter note.

"Silver Bullet, the worst werewolf movie ever." Lucas started.

"Yuck." Alli and myself said in unison.

"I hate werewolf movies." She said as we sat down.

"Same here," I said, "I don't think anybody here likes them."

Everyone else started talking about how ridiculous the movies were, while I quickly at my food. I really wanted to hang out, but fatigue had already set in. As soon as I finished my food, I gave Cain a small kiss on the cheek and said goodnight to everyone.

Once I made it to the tent that I shared with the other Dark Guardian girls, I grabbed some pajamas from my emergency bag and slipped them on. At the winter solstice, the Dark Guardians issued that everyone prepare an 'emergency bag' full of the necessities, if something were to happen to Wolford. Then, I thought it was completely stupid, and that Wolford was impenetrable. Now, I'm thankful one of the shifters picked up my bag while I was gone.

I snuggled into my sleeping bag and fell into a dreamless, nightmare-less slumber.

I woke up bright and early to find Alli to my right, Kayla to my left, Brittany at my feet, and Hayden at my head all asleep. I peeled my sleeping bag off me, as Lindsey came in from her shift of watch duty. She smiled at me and proceeded to wake everyone else up.

I stood up and stretched, feeling fully rested and slightly disgusting. I changed out of my pajamas and put on a swimsuit and a tank top and shorts on over it. I needed a bath, but with the only source of water, the river I practiced at, and I wasn't going to go skinny dipping.

I grabbed the toiletries I needed and slipped on some boots, then headed out for the river. I got there rather quickly and stripped out of my tank and shorts while kicking off my hiking boots. About half way through washing my hair, I heard a rustle in the bushes. I whipped the water around, more from nervousness than instinct.

"Hold up, Hoss." I heard the all-too-familiar country accent. After quietly apologizing, he started to strip to his swim trunks.

"Seems like we had the same idea." He said before jumping into the river.

"You probably just read my mind and stalked me." I joked, splashing him with water.

He laughed and started to wash himself. I couldn't help but stare at him. I mean, seriously? He's freaking ripped. A six-pack, strong chest, big arms…

"Enjoying the view?" he chuckled, reading my mind.

I blushed and quickly turned my back to him to get all the shampoo out of my hair. I yelped a little when his arms wrapped around my stomach. I actually started screaming when he picked me up and threw me into the water.

"SAWYER CAIN MATTHEWS!" I yelled after surfacing the water. **(A/N: oooooo! FULL NAME)** He was crying, he was laughing so hard. I made a huge wave knock him over, stopping the laughter then and there.

He resurfaced with a sexy smirk that made me forget why I was mad at him. "_Damn you and your damn looks."_

"You know what we should do?" He asked, getting extremely close to me. I couldn't help to blush at our proximity. He leaned into me, inches from my lips. "PRACTICE!" He sang, shooting straight up.

I was left dumbfound. He** did not** just seduced me into practicing. _"Again, I repeat. Damn you and your damn looks."_

"Seriously Alex, I got something I want you to try." I turned to him slightly ticked off on how he was able to do that to me. "I want you to make an ice bridge across this river strong enough to support you and me."

I slowly walked up to him. "Couldn't you of stopped at 'I want you'?" I asked, placing my hand in the middle of his chest. "Cause I could tell you what I really want right now…" I said, standing on my tip toes to get closer to his face. "A SNACK." I quickly spun around and added a little more swing to my hips. _"Two can play at that game."_

I almost reached the bank of the river when he grabbed my arm. Next thing I know, his lips crash into mine. The kiss was long, sweet, and slow.

"I'm sorry." He said genuinely, and I fall like putty into his arms. "Can we seriously practice some before breakfast?"

I sighed and nodded, getting out of the water. After he walked out, I took a deep breath and bent down to the water. Placing my hand on the surface of it, I pictured the water turning into ice. The edge of the bank froze, and I stood to test its strength. It was able to hold my weight, so I took a step to the water. It froze as soon as my foot touched the surface. I slowly inched my way to the center of the river when I heard shouting from a distance.

"Alex!" Alli yelled, running towards me. She slipped on the ice, and I caught her arm. Within a split second, the entire river had frozen.

"How…" I started, but trailed off due to shock. I let go of Alli, and the river return to the small ice bridge I had made.

Cain helped her off the ice, but his eyes glazed over as soon as he grabbed her arm. After a few seconds he shook his head lightly.

"I think I just saw the future." He said and looked at Alli. "How did you do that?"

"What do you mean?" She asked. "I didn't do anything."

"We have another shifter with extra abilities." Cain said. "She somehow is able to make peope's ability stonger."

My mouth dropped. It's so rare for a shifter to have extra abilities. Now we have five shifters with a talent, including Hayden.

"I also saw her after her shift. She will be able to decrease any shifters ability also to the tent of them not being able to change."

Cain looked like he was calculating something. I wanted to know, but I didn't want to interrupt.

"Today has just been one big bombshell." Alli said cheerfully.

"What do you mean" I asked.

"Oh! That's one of the reasons I came here. Anthony declared me his mate!"

"OH!MY!GOD!" I said, giving her a hug. "That's amazing!"

She told me the moment second for second. I'm so happy for her!

"Oh, the Elders want to talk to you about something." She added, still smiling ear to ear.

"Wait, what?" I asked, turning serious.

"They want to show you something. I think I saw some old envelopes."

I nodded and started to put my clothes and shoes back on.

"You want me to go with you?" Cain asked.

I smiled. "Of course."


	9. Chapter 9: Letters from Love Ones

**CPOV (Cain's)**

We walked without speaking. However, it was far from silent. Alex's mind kept running through possibilities of what the envelopes held. That was not the only thoughts that went through her head. She was trying to find some reason for the spike in special abilities in Shifters. She went through every logical thought before giving up. She finally decided that shifting wasn't logical why should the things that come with it be logical.

Before I knew it, we were walking into the Elders meeting tent. It was big enough for ten people to stand in comfortably.

"Alli said you had something to talk to me about." Alex said as we came in closer to the Elders.

"Yes," Elder Wilde said as he grabbed three envelopes. "These were sent from your parents a while back. We thought that it might be a good time to give them to you."

Alex's eyes went wide, and she quickly snatched the letters from the Elder's hands. Before opening them, she inspected them, flipping them back and forth and reading the foreign stamps and words. She opened each envelope carefully, as if it were too brittle for normal force. As she read each one, a range of emotions went across her face. She went from shock to hurt to anger.

"You kept this from me?" Alex yelled at the Elders.

They looked taken back, obviously not use to being talk to like that.

"Alex, calm down." I said as I rubbed her arm.

"Calm down? I have a sister!" She yelled, throwing the letters down. I was completely shocked and confused.

"There is no way we could have known that, Alexandra." Elder Wilde stated too calmly to be just hearing this information. "Even if we opened the letter, invading your privacy, we couldn't have been able to read it. It's in Russian."

"You could have gave it to me!"

"We couldn't give an eight year old letters from her dead parents explaining an ongoing war and a sister she may never see."

Alex opened her mouth to argue, but the harshness of the Elder's words stopped her. Inside her head, she had hit the realization that she might not meet her unknown sister. She picked up the letters and left the Elders in silence. I started to follow her.

"She needs time alone, Cain." Elder Wilde said.

"Don't mean to be disrespectful Elder, but I don't go for those bullshit clichés." I said before running for Alex.

**APOV (Alex's)**

I couldn't tell you where I was going; my mind was on autopilot. I have a sister, or had a sister. I don't know, and that scares me even more. I had so many questions I wanted answered. I opened one of the worn letters nervously and reread it, seeking for some answers.

_Dear Alexandra,_

_ I have missed you dearly, and I expect to see you very soon! I hope that you understand why we sent you to America. It is just too dangerous in Russia. I could not risk your life over something so trivial. I have more news. I am pregnant with a baby girl, sweetheart. We will send her to America as soon as we can. Her name will be Aaliyah. I love you and miss you more than you can imagine._

_ Love,_

_ Mom_

I folded it back up and picked another one, one from my dad.

_Dear Alexandra,_

_ I feel so terrible for leaving you in America. I pray, in due time, you will understand. Your mother is doing well with the pregnancy. Little Aaliyah will be born in the next few weeks. I am sad to say that we will not be able to send her to you for some time. We have to make sure her immune is good. I love you and miss you so much._

_ Love,_

_ Dad_

As I put that letter up, I felt a tear fall down my cheek. I opened the final and longest letter.

_If you are reading this, that means I am dead. I feared that this would happen, so I wanted to tell you that you mean the world to me. I love you with all my heart and hope that you will be able to understand. I asked Elder Wilde to take you in as his daughter and keep you in America. I have to beg of you to stay in America, take care of Aaliyah, and do NOT go to Russia. I do not want you to endanger yourself. Even if you think it is safe, do not go. The Pantheras will hunt you down. _

_I love you with all my heart._

_Dad_

_ I am so sorry Alexandra. I wished I could have fought harder, but I failed. I want you to know that you are my world, and I love you with all my heart. I also want you to know that this war is not your fault. I do not care what anybody says, it was not your fault. Please just listen to your father and know that we love you and hope the best for you. _

_ I love you forever and always. _

_ Mom_

I couldn't hold it in anymore. As the floodgates opened, I felt two strong arms wrapping around me. The smell of woods and ocean breeze overwhelmed me, calming me. As Cain hushed me, I realized something.

"We need to leave tonight." I hiccupped. He looked at me with concerned eyes. "I know that it's nearly impossible, but I believe that Aaliyah is alive. And I'll believe that until I found her."

"Okay," he started. "I think we need to bring Allison and Anthony with us."

"Why?" I sniffed. I already felt horrible for being Cain into this. I don't think I need to put anyone else in danger.

"It would be safer if we had them with us. They have abilities that could help us, and I trust them."

I was going to argue, but he was right. Plus, I felt a wave of nausea and quickly ran out of Cain's arms. He held my hair while I emptied my stomach's contents.

After I was through, he grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and gave it to me. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

I wiped my face of tears and nodded a little. "Aaliyah is her name," I said hoarsely, "But that's not what I'm worried about. In the last letter from my mom she said that this war is not my fault. Why would she say that?"

"Maybe she knew that you would blame yourself." He said.

"She also said that she didn't care what anyone said, it wasn't my fault." I said. "That means at least **somebody **believed it was my fault."

"Alex, you were a young girl when your parents sent you to America. There is no way you could have done anything to start a war."

I laughed at him, but I still had doubt in the back of my mind. This has just made me want to go to Russia right now. I need to find answers along with my sister. I don't know why, but I feel like she's still alive.

That reminded me of Alli. Would she really come with me to Russia? She's had a lot to deal with over this short period of time.

"Maybe I should talk to Alli now. She's probably dying with curiosity, and it might be better if I go ahead and ask her to come with us."

Cain looked reluctant, but he slowly released me from his arms. I sighed at the lost of contact, got up, and started to head towards the main campus. However, I stopped, forgetting how I got into the middle of these woods.

"Cain?" I asked. He laughed at me, reading my thoughts. Intertwining our fingers, he led me to the main campus. I smiled as he pointed in the direction of where Alli would be.

"Thanks." I said, giving him a quick peck on the lips. Then, I walked at a slightly quicker pace to her. "Hey, Alli."

"Hey there! What was in the envelopes?" She asked immediately.

"Eh, just some letters." I said, trying to keep as much to myself as possible.

"Just some letters?" She saw right through my act. I knew that if I wanted her to come with us to Russia, I would need to tell her everything, so I did. I told her everything about the fact that I may have a sister and even the plans to run away to Russia.

"Cain wants you and Anthony to come with us. It's not that I don't, it's just I don't want to endanger the two of you for my own personal problems."

"Alexandra!" She said slightly slapping me on the arm. "How dare you try to leave me out of these plans? I'm going, and that's a fact!"

I sighed lightly. I was really relieved that she wanted to come with us, but I was more stressed at the fact that they could get hurt.

"Don't you think you should discuss it with Anthony?" I asked her.

"I don't mind." Anthony said, appearing out of thin air.

"Jesus! Were you listening the entire time?" I yelled.

"I have to practice my ability, too, you know." He said nonchalantly.

"You'd come?" Alli asked, shocked.

"Of course Al," he started, "First off, Alex is your best friend. Second, I'm not going to let you go off to a potentially dangerous country without me."

"Awww." She said before they became "occupied" with each other. I took this as an opportunity to find Cain. However, like always, he finds me.

"I take it it didn't go quite as you had it planned?" He questioned, already knowing the answer. I decided to settle with a look. He laughed at my attempt to stare daggers at him. "Did you expect any less from them?"

I huffed. Truthfully, I hoped that they didn't want to risk their lives for us. I was hoping they would be scared or too concern with each others' welfare to take the chance. However, that is far from both of their personalities, and deep down, I knew that.

"Look Alex," Cain said, becoming very serious. "I know I haven't been very informative about our trip to Russia."

I looked at him with a confused look. I never took much thought into the trip. I knew we were getting from point A to point B and why we were going there, but I never took any thought into how we were going to accomplish this. I knew that Cain had been planning it, so I really didn't worry much about it. I hope he doesn't think I'm mad at him for not telling me.

"Basically, we're going to take my truck to Alaska, cross the Bering Strait, and head to this underground city by foot. I know the last part is going to be difficult, but I think we will do good timing. That is if we leave tonight."

I nodded at him. "We need to start packing now."

"I agree. Get Alli. I'll get Anthony. Be as quiet and discrete. Meet me at the river we practice at." He said shortly.

I nodded, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and left to go get Alli. One thing I know for sure, this next week is going to be rough, and I am going to get some answers.

**Okay, I know Chapter 8 and 9 are the first updates I've had in a long time, and I'm SOOOOOOO sorry; but I still am asking for reviews. I know that I am lucky if I even still have readers, but I really want everyone's review, be it good or bad. Not only does it help me better my writing, but it also gives me motivation to write more and quicker. Other than just motivation, the reviews turn my bad days into good, happy days. So I beg of you, REVIEW!**


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